Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-10-15

u
corners Of their gripsacks. In the
crowd the girl held out her hand and
Bruce pressed it in an instant, and.
then, with choking sensation IN his
throat, hurried away. following the in
structions of the tramps He passed
around the train and, on the opposite
side, ensconced himself behind little
coal-house.
AL aboard!" shouted the conductor
in tones of awful pomposity.
Then, as. the engineer and fireman
turned to their tasks, Bruce swung him
self unobserved on to the ablind endn
fhe end without door of the bag
gage car, directly behind the tender.
At every revolution of the wheels the
speed increased, and the cold. biting
atmosphere rushed by, an icy flood
that pierced Bruce's thin raiment and
made his teeth chatter like castanets.
Faster and faster went the train as the
iron-horse plunged onward. The en-
gineer had received orders to make up
the lost time as far as possible, and was
endeavoring to do SO. With exultant
whoops the engine swung and roared
through small towns, behind time, but
striving sturdily to recover the lost
minutes.
As they dashed around curve and
started to descend long, rapidly-fall-
ing grade startled cry from the en-
gineer, heard even above the roar of
the wheels, and followed instantly by q
whistled call for brakes, came to
Bruce's ears, and he glanced quickly
ahead. Just before them. toiling up as
if to meet them half way, came heavy
freight engine, dragging behind it it's
attendant train of box-cars. Bruce
saw the two begrimed figures fling
themselves from the cab and go tumb-
ling down the steep "rip-rap" sides of
the grade. Only the space of an in
drawn breath he delayed, and then,
hurting himself az far as possible from
the step, he went whirling downward,
the rocks of the "rip-rap" wounding
him on every side.
Then came the crash and the two iron
monsters struggled madly with each
other for an instant and then left the
track and went rolling down the en-
bankment to lie useless masses of
twisted and shattered iron, from which
poured the steam in binding, kissing
clouds. The cars came piling down in
an inextricable mass upon the riven
and distorted engines.
For few seconds Bruce lay stunned,
but the horror of the sounds of agony
and cries of terror seemed to call his
wavering senses back to life and action.
What need to tell of the horrid sights
and sounds, of the means of anguish,
the screams of pain? Such accidents
happen often. We know the tales of
horror all too we'll
Bruce wiped away the blood that
trickled from a cut beneath his hair,
and strobe to where the shattered cars
lay piled upon each other. Sew
sral men joined him. They fell
10 work like Troians. and soon
extricated several of the passengers,
some of whom assisted In turn. One
BY one the members Of the Nonpareil
Company were dragged from the midst
If the wreck. The comedian and lead
ng man were laid side by side, too
BADLY injured to stand. The leading
nan at once began to relate an incident
If former wreck in which he had
been. When he caught his breath and
lsked question of the comedian, that |
gentleman did nothing but roll over the |
,ther way and groan. His jaw had been |
broken by the iron arm of seat.
Then the fire broke out, how, no one
Knew, and began to lick up the |
hattered timbers of the wreck as if |
hey had been finder. In the excite
nent of the moment Bruce forgot the |
weakness of his recent illness, but now
lis strength seemed to desert him.
PRESENTLY every one had been rescued, |
he little band of heroes thought, and |
hey rested from their labors, and |
the red flames devour the
plintered wreck. Suddenly one rushed
oward that portion of the wreck that
he fire had not yet reached. Then he
|houted:
Here's one more!"
Bruce Collins heard the call, and
within seemed to tell him
hat the zone more" was Florence Yer
ION.
Strength rushed back to his limbs,
nd he dashed to the wreck, and, stand
ng beside the first conner, gazed down
rard, and beheld hand protruding
,<~1, LII /